Daniel Solander in England

Daniel Solander arrived in London in June 1760s with letters of recommendation from Carl Linnaeus to John Ellis and Peter Collinson, two leading naturalists of the day. Ellis (1710-1776) was a linen merchant, who also specialized in the study of corals, and imported seeds from America. Collinson (1694-1768) was a plantsman and botanist who imported seeds from America via John Bertram. Solander established himself in London, and set out to learn English. He made two botanical journeys in the south of England:

• December 20, 1760 - early February 1761
• Midsummer 1761 - August 10, 1761

When he was not in the field, Solander enjoyed London society. He was gregarious and well liked. In 1761, Solander received news that Linnaeus's daughter married a young officer (the accounts vary - in some, Solander’s affections waned, in others, she married and Solander was so heartbroken that he became a bachelor). Also in 1761, Solander was offered the chair of botany at the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg. On the advice of Collinson and other colleagues, Solander turned down the position, and informed Linnaeus he intended to stay in England. Linnaeus was disappointed that Solander would not succeed him at the University of Uppsala.

Solander box - photo by Marie Brannon

 

From 1761 to 1762 Solander classified and organized material from his journeys in London and southern England. He was assisted by John Ellis. In 1763, driven by the need for a more secure income, Solander accepted a position arranged by Collinson as an assistant librarian at the British Museum. Solander’s task was to catalog the natural history collection. In this position, Solander promoted the Linnaean system of classification, and helped pioneer museum curation (possibly more so than had he accepted the position at University of Uppsala). He developed a storage method for specimens, called the Solander box.

In 1764, Solander became a fellow of the Royal Society. In 1765, he worked on a descriptive catalog for the private museum of the Duchess of Portland. During this time, Solander met Joseph Banks, who traveled in the same circles, both professionally and socially. In 1768, Banks invited Solander to join the team of scientists, botanists, and artists he was assembling to join Captain James Cook’s expedition. Solander accepted the position, and took a leave of absence from the British Museum.

Learn More:

• Bibliographical sketch of Daniel Solander, by L.A. Gilbert: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/solander-daniel-2677
• The Linnaean Correspondence – search the archives for letters to and from Daniel Solander: http://linnaeus.c18.net/Letters/index.php